Highlights from the first round of the Barclays Scottish Open-Part 3
Edoardo Molinari had one of the best starts in the competition. The Italian reeled six birdies against a single bogey to produce a score of 67, which left him standing sixth on the leaderboard.
The world number 34 has been out of form since the start of the season. Although he did not miss a cut in any of the six starts, he could not impress his fans. However, after arriving at the link styled courses of Scotland, the player seems to finally be
regaining his form.
Molinari acknowledged the fact that he wasn’t up to his best, and cited lack of patience as a key factor in his inconsistency.
“I haven't played great so far this year, having a good finish (11th] at The Masters and another top ten. It's just a matter of being patient and starting to hole a few putts,” Molinari said while speaking to reporters.
Commenting on the severity of Castle Stuart, where the tournament is being held, he added, “It is one of the best links courses we have ever played. It is similar to Kings barns, but is a better course than Kings barns and more fair. It is a great thing
that the Scottish Open is on a links course the week before The Open. It is the perfect preparation for that.”
The 30-year-old is the defending champion of the tournament and after such a fabulous start, he seems certain to finish in the Top-5 by the end of the weekend.
Retief Goosen marveled the crowd with the perfection in his putting against the wind. He aced the par-4, 12th, when the direction of the wind dragged the ball into the bunker on the fairway. Despite that, he trusted his iron and hit a crisp shot
that scooped into the cup.
The South African clamped two birdies in the front, clawed two at the back, and just dropped a single shot. He signed for a score of 67.
World number one Luke Donald finished two strokes shy of the leader, Lee Westwood. Donald, who is engaged in a tussle of world rankings with Westwood, posted a score of 67 after teeing-off from the front. He fired five birdies on the front and one at the
back, before rain made the course extremely difficult to play on.
Despite the testing conditions, Donald stood firm and did not lose his cool. He spoke to the press after the round and said that he was looking forward for a win, despite this being his first visit to Castle Stuart.
Article continued in Part 4…
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